April 7, 2008
After a 13-year absence, Alfa Romeo is returning to the United States this summer with a splash with the new 8C Competizione coupe, according to The New York Times.
Alfa withdrew from the American market in 1995 amid slumping sales brought on by a reputation for poor quality. But the brand has had a resurgence in Europe as its parent, Fiat, has infused cash into Alfa for new designs and improved mechanical systems.
Fiat is trying to build up a sports and luxury division featuring Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Fiat plans to sell the 8C through select Maserati dealerships (which are also Ferrari dealerships) in North America.
Fiat is positioning the 8C as a literal blood brother to supercars from Maserati and Ferrari, with which the 8C shares some parts.
At an estimated base price above $200,000, the 8C is easily Alfa’s most expensive model ever. The 450-horsepower V-8 coupe will be produced in limited numbers, and only 90 are expected to be available in the United States this year. Most are already spoken for, the company said. Prospective buyers might instead be wise to inquire about the convertible version due in 2009.
If the strong early demand for the 8C continues, Fiat said it would offer three more Alfa Romeo vehicles — the 159 sporty sedan, Brera 2+2 coupe and Spider two-seater — in the United States by late 2009 or early 2010.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth 
at 11:38 AM | Permalink
September 24, 2007
Sorry, all you wanna-be Bugatti buyers. If you can't come up with the $1.4 million it'd take to park a Veyron in your garage, you'll have to just settle for something more mundane - perhaps a Ferrari F430 or Mercedes-Benz SLR, according to thecarconnection.com
The reborn French marque, the top-line subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, has been struggling to lay out plans for its post-Veyron future, and according to senior managers, one likely move would be to introduce a second model at a slightly more reasonable price.
Make that former managers. With sales of the $1.4-million supercar running at an even more modest pace than the one per week originally forecast, VW ordered a shake-up earlier this year. And now, the new managers have nixed the idea of letting the Bugatti name appear on something that might come in at just a million dollars even.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth at 4:23 PM | Permalink
